₦airaland Forum

Simeon Amadi, chief judge of Rivers, has declined to constitute a judicial panel to probe Siminalayi Fubara, governor of the state, citing a court order.

The Rivers state house of assembly had asked Amadi to set up a seven-member panel to investigate Fubara and Ngozi Odu, his deputy, over allegations bordering on gross misconduct.

Newsgeek24:
https://verynigerian.com/breaking-rivers-chief-judge-declines-notice-to-set-up-panel-against-fubara/

Focusmind:
As I expected. The house may have to bypass the chief judge and seek that compulsion from a higher court in another state.

Newsgeek24:
https://verynigerian.com/breaking-rivers-chief-judge-declines-notice-to-set-up-panel-against-fubara/

Focusmind:
As I expected. The house may have to bypass the chief judge and seek that compulsion from a higher court in another state.

Newsgeek24:
https://verynigerian.com/breaking-rivers-chief-judge-declines-notice-to-set-up-panel-against-fubara/

Jerrynet:
ALLEGATIONS OF VICTIMISATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS IN RIVERS STATE

There is growing tension and unrest in Rivers State secondary schools following reports that some Principals, Vice Principals, Head Teachers, and their Deputies are being victimised or punished for allegedly supporting former Governor Nyesom Wike.

According to reports, several Principals perceived to be loyal to Wike have been transferred to schools with poor and unconducive working conditions, while others have reportedly been removed from their administrative positions and redeployed to classroom teaching duties after serving for many years as Principals or Vice Principals.

A source within the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board (RSUBEB) alleged that officials were instructed to use any available excuse to demote or redeploy school administrators believed to be loyal to the former governor. This development has generated widespread concern within the education sector, with many stakeholders describing the situation as unprecedented and destabilising.

A retired board official who also expressed concern over the development described the action as wrong and harmful to the education system. According to him, it is improper for the Board to remove a duly appointed Principal or Vice Principal and replace them with a staff member from the same school merely because the staff member is senior by grade level, while demoting the former administrator to a classroom teacher.

He warned that if such a practice is allowed to stand, it would set a dangerous precedent whereby any school head could be removed simply because a higher-grade officer is transferred into the school. “It would mean that whenever a teacher senior in grade level is posted to a school, the existing head must vacate office and return to the classroom. This will drastically demoralise school heads and make the entire system unstable,” he said.

The retired official further noted that the issue may not necessarily be political, but rather lies in the way the new board members and directors are handling the matter. He emphasized that school heads and their deputies are not appointed solely based on grade-level seniority, but on competence, qualifications, and professional training — particularly in education management.

He questioned the rationale behind appointing individuals who never formally studied education to head schools, noting that some of them were converted from clerical positions, while others were employed without education qualifications or only obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE). “How do you overlook someone who actually studied education and education management, and appoint someone who does not even know how to write a proper lesson note, let alone inspect teachers’ lesson notes?” he asked.

Recalling past standards, he said that during the tenure of Ven. Fyneface Akah and his predecessors, the criteria for appointing school heads — consistent with global best practices — were competence and qualifications. According to him, this approach contributed significantly to the stability and achievements recorded in the school system during that period.

Another source at the Ministry of Education, who spoke on condition of anonymity, suggested that the situation could be handled more professionally without creating unrest. He explained that the standard practice worldwide, where seniority becomes an issue, is to transfer the officer senior in grade level to a school where the head is already senior, while junior officers are posted to schools where vacancies exist, thereby balancing seniority without humiliating or demoting existing heads.

He also noted that with the governor’s approval for the immediate deployment of the recently recruited 1,000 teachers, such teachers could be posted to schools where Principals, Vice Principals, or Head Teachers are lower in grade level. According to him, this would prevent unnecessary tension and avoid heating up the already fragile polity.

Meanwhile, a teacher from a secondary school in Port Harcourt has appealed to the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) to intervene and prevail on Governor Siminalayi Fubara to reverse the alleged directive. The teacher stressed that not all affected administrators are political loyalists, adding that many are career civil servants who have served diligently without violating any civil service rules.

Further investigations revealed that the Board allegedly relied on questionable grade - level justifications to demote some school heads. A source at the Board described the action as improper and contrary to established civil service procedures, noting that it is wrong to remove a duly appointed administrator who has not been found guilty of any misconduct.

In view of these developments, stakeholders are calling on Governor Siminalayi Fubara to urgently look into the matter. Reports indicate that several affected administrators have refused to vacate their offices or hand over, insisting that due process must be followed and that the integrity of the education system must be protected.